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Lord of the Butterflies
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Poetry (2019)In Andrea Gibson's latest collection, they continue their artful and nuanced looks at gender, romance, loss, and family. Each emotion here is deft and delicate, resting inside of imagery heavy enough to sink the heart, while giving the body wings to soar.
95 pages, Paperback
First published November 27, 2018
724 people are currently reading
21186 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Gibson
44 books3,052 followersAndrea Faye Gibson was an American poet and activist. Their poetry focused on gender norms, politics, social justice, LGBTQ topics, life, and mortality. Gibson was appointed as the Poet Laureate of Colorado in 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,003 reviews
April 9, 2019
4/9/19
I'm going to go see Andrea live tonight and I'm kinda sorta maybe absofuckinglutely beside myself with glee.
This is my glee face 😃
Now you know.
__________________________________
Andrea Gibson introduced me to the power of poetry.
I thought verse was all flowers and love and a bunch of other crap that, not only could I not relate to, I also couldn't give one single solitary f#ck about.
YouTube is where my love affair with Andrea began. After inadvertently coming across a spoken word video (I was most likely watching pimple popping videos at the time) my view on poetry changed.
I changed.
I became educated on the LGBTQ community in a way that was relatable and tangible. I had gay friends, isn't that what every heterosexual person says? I realized they weren't really friends because I didn't know them as intimately as I did my straight friends. I naively thought I knew the life that they had and continued to endure because I watched that one movie that one time that had a gay guy in it. I watched Queer Eye and The L Word and considered myself enlightened.
My level of ignorance was shameful at best.
After devouring every video I could find, I then ordered the book The Madness Vase. My very first poetry purchase.
Next, I drove four hours to go and witness these words that I had fallen in love with spoken by their architect.
Words had never had such an effect on me before that live spoken word performance. I was gutted and resuscitated, my heart injured and then revived. I was a mass of emotions and then I realized I was crying. Out of embarrassment, I glanced around to see if anybody was looking at me only to discover that the entire audience was in tears.
I'm going to see my second live performance by Andrea on April 9, 2019. I'm bringing tissues this time.
This new book is beyond words, it is simply something that you must experience for yourself. It is now available in paper and ebook form.
As someone that has suffered with panic disorder for 23 years, ODE TO THE PUBLIC PANIC ATTACK resounds with me on a level I never thought possible, giving me words to describe the indescribable.
_________________________________________________
A very small excerpt from
ODE TO THE PUBLIC PANIC ATTACK
If you've never had a panic attack,
there's a good chance that you've
been an ass to someone who has.
JUST RELAX
and CALM DOWN
always seem like helpful things
to scream if oxygen
has never been over your head,
if your body has never been it's own corset.
______________________________________________
Thank you, Andrea, for sharing your words with the world and for being you.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm going to go see Andrea live tonight and I'm kinda sorta maybe absofuckinglutely beside myself with glee.
This is my glee face 😃
Now you know.
__________________________________
Andrea Gibson introduced me to the power of poetry.
I thought verse was all flowers and love and a bunch of other crap that, not only could I not relate to, I also couldn't give one single solitary f#ck about.
YouTube is where my love affair with Andrea began. After inadvertently coming across a spoken word video (I was most likely watching pimple popping videos at the time) my view on poetry changed.
I changed.
I became educated on the LGBTQ community in a way that was relatable and tangible. I had gay friends, isn't that what every heterosexual person says? I realized they weren't really friends because I didn't know them as intimately as I did my straight friends. I naively thought I knew the life that they had and continued to endure because I watched that one movie that one time that had a gay guy in it. I watched Queer Eye and The L Word and considered myself enlightened.
My level of ignorance was shameful at best.
After devouring every video I could find, I then ordered the book The Madness Vase. My very first poetry purchase.
Next, I drove four hours to go and witness these words that I had fallen in love with spoken by their architect.
Words had never had such an effect on me before that live spoken word performance. I was gutted and resuscitated, my heart injured and then revived. I was a mass of emotions and then I realized I was crying. Out of embarrassment, I glanced around to see if anybody was looking at me only to discover that the entire audience was in tears.
I'm going to see my second live performance by Andrea on April 9, 2019. I'm bringing tissues this time.
This new book is beyond words, it is simply something that you must experience for yourself. It is now available in paper and ebook form.
As someone that has suffered with panic disorder for 23 years, ODE TO THE PUBLIC PANIC ATTACK resounds with me on a level I never thought possible, giving me words to describe the indescribable.
_________________________________________________
A very small excerpt from
ODE TO THE PUBLIC PANIC ATTACK
If you've never had a panic attack,
there's a good chance that you've
been an ass to someone who has.
JUST RELAX
and CALM DOWN
always seem like helpful things
to scream if oxygen
has never been over your head,
if your body has never been it's own corset.
______________________________________________
Thank you, Andrea, for sharing your words with the world and for being you.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2021
that we are not truly alone in this
that our veins are absolutely strings
tied to other people’s kites,
that our lives are that connected.
That my butterflies are never gone.
I don’t have anything better to say than the poet’s own words.
that our veins are absolutely strings
tied to other people’s kites,
that our lives are that connected.
That my butterflies are never gone.
I don’t have anything better to say than the poet’s own words.
April 3, 2021
5 stars
Chills. I had bloody chills reading this book. Oh dear god, Andrea Gibson can do nothing wrong. As my favorite poet I wasn't expecting any thing less from them, but those freaking goosebumps were even better than I had anticipated!
ARC provided in exchange of an honest review via Netgalley
Chills. I had bloody chills reading this book. Oh dear god, Andrea Gibson can do nothing wrong. As my favorite poet I wasn't expecting any thing less from them, but those freaking goosebumps were even better than I had anticipated!
ARC provided in exchange of an honest review via Netgalley
July 21, 2021
'my love, come become beside me
til i find your first silver hair in our tub
til i find your last silver hair in our tub'
i was NOT expecting this collection to hit me so hard. even though andrea gibson's poetry is intensely personal, it sometimes felt like they were reaching inside me and pulling out some thoughts i've never been able to put into words. if you're a poetry nerd, or even if you aren't, this is a beautiful (and super accessible) read.
'lord of the butterflies' is a collection of poems, fragments and musings on gender, non-conformity, mental health, illness and modern politics. there's a lot of variety here, from adorable love notes to cutting political treatises to painfully personal depictions of grief. despite this, nothing feels out of place; there wasn't really a single poem that i would call unnecessary. this poetry collection is at once contemporary and timeless, which is maybe why i felt so personally drawn to some of gibson's words. a lot of the experiences they touch on are somewhat universal, or they at least felt that way to me.
andrea gibson is such a charismatic writer, and you can feel their wit leaping from every poem. even in the darker places, like when gibson muses on depression or chronic illness or suicidal ideation, there is a sense of playfulness to their writing. like in 'living proof', one of my favourites in the collection:
'i have a few happy friends.
i ask them about being happy
the same way my high school friends
ask me about being gay, "so, what
do you people do exactly? how do you do it?"'
maybe this is what i mean when i call this book 'accessible' - it's bright and readable, even when the topics being approached aren't exactly cheerful.
i don't read a whole lot of poetry, but when i do, i enjoy seeing my experiences reflected in ways i'd never considered before. that's where gibson shines for me, especially because so much of their writing centres queerness. possibly the most powerful poem for me, 'orlando', perfectly captured my own feelings in the fallout of the pulse nightclub shooting in 2016, when i was 16, confused and scared. reading 'orlando' was a very touching and affirming experience.
recommended for all the poetry fans (especially the depressed gays) on my friends list <3
til i find your first silver hair in our tub
til i find your last silver hair in our tub'
i was NOT expecting this collection to hit me so hard. even though andrea gibson's poetry is intensely personal, it sometimes felt like they were reaching inside me and pulling out some thoughts i've never been able to put into words. if you're a poetry nerd, or even if you aren't, this is a beautiful (and super accessible) read.
'lord of the butterflies' is a collection of poems, fragments and musings on gender, non-conformity, mental health, illness and modern politics. there's a lot of variety here, from adorable love notes to cutting political treatises to painfully personal depictions of grief. despite this, nothing feels out of place; there wasn't really a single poem that i would call unnecessary. this poetry collection is at once contemporary and timeless, which is maybe why i felt so personally drawn to some of gibson's words. a lot of the experiences they touch on are somewhat universal, or they at least felt that way to me.
andrea gibson is such a charismatic writer, and you can feel their wit leaping from every poem. even in the darker places, like when gibson muses on depression or chronic illness or suicidal ideation, there is a sense of playfulness to their writing. like in 'living proof', one of my favourites in the collection:
'i have a few happy friends.
i ask them about being happy
the same way my high school friends
ask me about being gay, "so, what
do you people do exactly? how do you do it?"'
maybe this is what i mean when i call this book 'accessible' - it's bright and readable, even when the topics being approached aren't exactly cheerful.
i don't read a whole lot of poetry, but when i do, i enjoy seeing my experiences reflected in ways i'd never considered before. that's where gibson shines for me, especially because so much of their writing centres queerness. possibly the most powerful poem for me, 'orlando', perfectly captured my own feelings in the fallout of the pulse nightclub shooting in 2016, when i was 16, confused and scared. reading 'orlando' was a very touching and affirming experience.
recommended for all the poetry fans (especially the depressed gays) on my friends list <3
March 20, 2019
• I received an ARC of this book from Button Poetry via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review •
Isn't it wonderful when literature grasp you tight and doesn’t let go? Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson does exactly that.
I think this book is probably one of the most fascinating books of poetry I ever read in no exaggeration. It is lyrically seductive, relatable, and heartbreaking, but the thing I liked most about it was that it focuses not only on the struggles of LGBTQ people but it also tackles about mental health. Plus, the cover is also as stunning as the book itself, I couldn't stop myself from looking at it!
"You're going to kill your own god
so you can fall in love for the first time."
Isn't it wonderful when literature grasp you tight and doesn’t let go? Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson does exactly that.
I think this book is probably one of the most fascinating books of poetry I ever read in no exaggeration. It is lyrically seductive, relatable, and heartbreaking, but the thing I liked most about it was that it focuses not only on the struggles of LGBTQ people but it also tackles about mental health. Plus, the cover is also as stunning as the book itself, I couldn't stop myself from looking at it!
“Let’s hyperventilate like it’s 1999.”
February 23, 2019
Thank you Button Poetry for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Is it possible to get chills reading a poetry collection? Andrea Gibson's Lord of the Butterflies did. The poems centered on mental health, love, pain, loss and queer relationships. It's heartwrenching, raw, emotional and honest. My favorite poem is Orlando. That piece struck me hard woth sadness, anger and pain. An outcry to the innocent victims of the nightclub massacre years ago and the last two verses made me cry:
when this world, drunk
on hate, decides blood
is wine and drinks its fill
in the only place
they ever thought was safe?
in the only place they thought
they didn't have to hide?
in the only place they were wanted
because of who they loved,
and how they loved,
until someome walked through their bodies
and asked who was still alove
and hardly anyone
put their hand up
Lord of the Butterflies is a masterpiece and an eye-opening collection understanding more about the LGBT community. I recommend it to everyone and many thanks to my friend Chesca, for introducing this book to me.
Is it possible to get chills reading a poetry collection? Andrea Gibson's Lord of the Butterflies did. The poems centered on mental health, love, pain, loss and queer relationships. It's heartwrenching, raw, emotional and honest. My favorite poem is Orlando. That piece struck me hard woth sadness, anger and pain. An outcry to the innocent victims of the nightclub massacre years ago and the last two verses made me cry:
when this world, drunk
on hate, decides blood
is wine and drinks its fill
in the only place
they ever thought was safe?
in the only place they thought
they didn't have to hide?
in the only place they were wanted
because of who they loved,
and how they loved,
until someome walked through their bodies
and asked who was still alove
and hardly anyone
put their hand up
Lord of the Butterflies is a masterpiece and an eye-opening collection understanding more about the LGBT community. I recommend it to everyone and many thanks to my friend Chesca, for introducing this book to me.
September 11, 2020
Review to come! I feel like I cheated my reading challenge by reading poetry.
May 11, 2024
There are gods and puppets. In chess, the latter are called pawns, knights, rooks, bishops. There is only one King and one Queen (pieces on the chessboard/royal court). Gods and men in some way can move them all. Some gifted ones may send a message as gentle as the light brush of a butterfly wing on a 1st graders post-swim white pearly right arm--thus filling the soul with warmth. Poems by Gibson take on many themes of this illumination or decoherence which in turn causes a movement.
"You sliced heirloom tomatoes and made a dressing from scratch while I eyed the Persian carpet, whose murder I never allowed in our house. But here, almost free now, almost alive in a dysfunctional version of chess, using a man or woman as a toy and blind flying monkey."
---Andrea Gibson
Love imparts altitude to some. We read about art that tackles gender, struggle, identity, family, and love, causing a distinct feeling in the reader—and a flutter of the heart. Specifically in Gibsons' "Lord of the Butterflies" he engenders combustion in the reader with Ivy; "after the wound of us scabbed into polite text," and post parading a lesser being to taunt a divine child. After lunch, he sent me a record of you two and video of a cookout, followed by an expletive for a female. Your grief always a marathon and like the often dripping of blood, it’s’ only then you find peace in the hell you created.
"You sliced heirloom tomatoes and made a dressing from scratch while I eyed the Persian carpet, whose murder I never allowed in our house. But here, almost free now, almost alive in a dysfunctional version of chess, using a man or woman as a toy and blind flying monkey."
---Andrea Gibson
Love imparts altitude to some. We read about art that tackles gender, struggle, identity, family, and love, causing a distinct feeling in the reader—and a flutter of the heart. Specifically in Gibsons' "Lord of the Butterflies" he engenders combustion in the reader with Ivy; "after the wound of us scabbed into polite text," and post parading a lesser being to taunt a divine child. After lunch, he sent me a record of you two and video of a cookout, followed by an expletive for a female. Your grief always a marathon and like the often dripping of blood, it’s’ only then you find peace in the hell you created.
March 19, 2022
From the About the Author page at the back of the book: "These poems riot against gun violence, homophobia, and white supremacy, while jubilating gender expansion, queer love, and the will to stay alive."
From this same page, Andrea Gibson is "Known for pulling hearts out of chests to either wrench or kiss," and that exactly describes my experience as I read these poems, first, silently to myself, and then out loud to Simon! They pack a powerful punch and I felt the words in addition to hearing them.
I usually try to find a video of a poet reciting their own work to get a sense of how they intend the words to be expressed and I was excited to be able to find a video on YouTube of the author reading, "Your Life," set to music, which was very moving and inspiring.
Each poem has its own unique resonance, as it expresses the pain and beauty of being alive and the struggle to remain so, however my personal favorite is, "Ode to the Public Panic Attack."
From this same page, Andrea Gibson is "Known for pulling hearts out of chests to either wrench or kiss," and that exactly describes my experience as I read these poems, first, silently to myself, and then out loud to Simon! They pack a powerful punch and I felt the words in addition to hearing them.
I usually try to find a video of a poet reciting their own work to get a sense of how they intend the words to be expressed and I was excited to be able to find a video on YouTube of the author reading, "Your Life," set to music, which was very moving and inspiring.
Each poem has its own unique resonance, as it expresses the pain and beauty of being alive and the struggle to remain so, however my personal favorite is, "Ode to the Public Panic Attack."
November 29, 2018
Having read and absolutely loved
The Madness Vase
(2011) in October, I couldn’t wait to pick up Andrea Gibson’s newest collection of poems. Some bits were already familiar as they’d been playfully paired with beautiful drawings by Sarah J. Coleman for the 2018
Take Me with You
illustrated volume published earlier this year. Also, thanks to Button Poetry’s amazing social media presence, I’m always in awe to watch videos of Gibson performing their poems on stage. In this case, it was “Ode to the Public Panic Attack.”
But a collection of poems is something you can experience as a whole only from cover to cover, in the order the author intended you to read them. Of course, you could always choose your own way through, read and re-read them however you fancy!
If in Take Me With You , Gibson experiments with text and illustration, here we have poems in various forms: from strings of two or three liners, like “Your Life,” “First Love,” and “Baby Teeth in a Landfill,” to prose poems, like “What Do You Think about This Weather?” and “Tincture,” plus a few unexpected dictionary-entry-type poems on “Depression [verb],” “Resentment [verb],” or “White Feminism [noun].”
They are queer love poems, mental health poems, and social justice poems, sometimes a subtly layered combination of all these themes and images in their signature passionate style. It was heartbreaking to read “Orlando” and “America, Reloading,” yet sometimes it takes just a couple of lines to have that powerful, hard-hitting effect: “imagine choosing nothing at all. imagine something hurting that bad” (“The Day You Died Because You Wanted To”), or a closing line: “Tell us again about goosebumps. Tell us again about pain.” (“Tincture”).
Needless to say, Andrea Gibson is currently my favourite poet, I’m still not over “Ashes,” and I’m quite jealous of those who discovered them years and years ago!
*Thanks to NetGalley & Button Poetry for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Lord of the Butterflies RELEASED NOVEMBER 27, 2018.*
But a collection of poems is something you can experience as a whole only from cover to cover, in the order the author intended you to read them. Of course, you could always choose your own way through, read and re-read them however you fancy!
If in Take Me With You , Gibson experiments with text and illustration, here we have poems in various forms: from strings of two or three liners, like “Your Life,” “First Love,” and “Baby Teeth in a Landfill,” to prose poems, like “What Do You Think about This Weather?” and “Tincture,” plus a few unexpected dictionary-entry-type poems on “Depression [verb],” “Resentment [verb],” or “White Feminism [noun].”
They are queer love poems, mental health poems, and social justice poems, sometimes a subtly layered combination of all these themes and images in their signature passionate style. It was heartbreaking to read “Orlando” and “America, Reloading,” yet sometimes it takes just a couple of lines to have that powerful, hard-hitting effect: “imagine choosing nothing at all. imagine something hurting that bad” (“The Day You Died Because You Wanted To”), or a closing line: “Tell us again about goosebumps. Tell us again about pain.” (“Tincture”).
“But no one heals what they refuse to look at. So when asked if I think you’re a good person, I say, I don’t believe in good people. I believe in people who are committed to knowing their own wounds intimately.” ("Daytime, Somewhere")
Needless to say, Andrea Gibson is currently my favourite poet, I’m still not over “Ashes,” and I’m quite jealous of those who discovered them years and years ago!
*Thanks to NetGalley & Button Poetry for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Lord of the Butterflies RELEASED NOVEMBER 27, 2018.*
February 6, 2019
I had never heard of Andrea Gibson before reading this book of poetry. I definitely know her now. In fact, very intimately as a result of her vulnerability and frank openness.
The overall feeling while experiencing these poems was moroseness. My heart broke with each new page. Sure, there were sprinkles of positive reflection. But there was mostly a theme of sadness.
Sexual Identity, Sibling struggles, Tragedy, Religion, Anxiety, Depression, Politics, and Suicide are all tackled topics within the pages.
Gibson definitely has a way with words. Here are several of the many tidbits that resonated with me:
"...realizing you are the only boy you ever wanted to tear your dress off for."
---
"They told me the same thing
about Santa always watching and I didn't mind
because he was bringing presents."
---
"If you've never had a panic attack,
there's a good chance you've been an ass
to someone who has
JUST RELAX
and CALM DOWN
always seems like helpful things
to scream if oxygen
has never been over your head,
if your body has never become its own corset."
---
"I love myself, but I don't
love myself
back."
---
"...What if you are the love your life? I think, Oh my god, I hope
that's not true,
because I am absolutely
not my type."
---
"...never let the bad in you
make the better case."
--
There were also things that made you think. Gibson feels we should be making more snowwomen than snowmen. Why don't we? And her thought on open heart valves was swoon worthy.
How do you rate poetry? Isn't it all subjective? While this was entirely depressing material, it did make me FEEL. And for that level of connection and the aforementioned vulnerability, there is no other option to than to give this a 5.
I received a copy through Netgalley from Button Poetry for an honest review.
The overall feeling while experiencing these poems was moroseness. My heart broke with each new page. Sure, there were sprinkles of positive reflection. But there was mostly a theme of sadness.
Sexual Identity, Sibling struggles, Tragedy, Religion, Anxiety, Depression, Politics, and Suicide are all tackled topics within the pages.
Gibson definitely has a way with words. Here are several of the many tidbits that resonated with me:
"...realizing you are the only boy you ever wanted to tear your dress off for."
---
"They told me the same thing
about Santa always watching and I didn't mind
because he was bringing presents."
---
"If you've never had a panic attack,
there's a good chance you've been an ass
to someone who has
JUST RELAX
and CALM DOWN
always seems like helpful things
to scream if oxygen
has never been over your head,
if your body has never become its own corset."
---
"I love myself, but I don't
love myself
back."
---
"...What if you are the love your life? I think, Oh my god, I hope
that's not true,
because I am absolutely
not my type."
---
"...never let the bad in you
make the better case."
--
There were also things that made you think. Gibson feels we should be making more snowwomen than snowmen. Why don't we? And her thought on open heart valves was swoon worthy.
How do you rate poetry? Isn't it all subjective? While this was entirely depressing material, it did make me FEEL. And for that level of connection and the aforementioned vulnerability, there is no other option to than to give this a 5.
I received a copy through Netgalley from Button Poetry for an honest review.
July 16, 2019
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley
4 🌟
I first got interested in this book because of poetry from queer perspective but Gibson touches upon many other subjects, mainly -- politics, trump administration (they didn't capitalise his name so I won't do that as well), faith, family, disability, mental health, and suicide.
With so many subjects I would expect this not even 100 pages long work to be all over the place but it never felt like Gibson was jumping from one subject to another and the transition was so smooth I only now realised how many things they managed to include here.
I'm having trouble choosing quotes to put here - I highlighted so many. Many of those poems, or even verses, made me cry, made me rage, made me smile. But between them, there were a few that felt like they described emotions more than evoke them -- and since I read poetry to feel things -- this is the reason I'm not 5-staring this work.
4 🌟
"You're going to kill your own god
so you can fall in love for the first time."
I first got interested in this book because of poetry from queer perspective but Gibson touches upon many other subjects, mainly -- politics, trump administration (they didn't capitalise his name so I won't do that as well), faith, family, disability, mental health, and suicide.
With so many subjects I would expect this not even 100 pages long work to be all over the place but it never felt like Gibson was jumping from one subject to another and the transition was so smooth I only now realised how many things they managed to include here.
I'm having trouble choosing quotes to put here - I highlighted so many. Many of those poems, or even verses, made me cry, made me rage, made me smile. But between them, there were a few that felt like they described emotions more than evoke them -- and since I read poetry to feel things -- this is the reason I'm not 5-staring this work.
"It's true
what they say about the gays
being so fashionable—
our ghosts never go
out of style"
"I'm fascinated with this idea
of getting high on life. I imagine people
on their backs in lilac fields snorting the lines
the planes leave in the sky, walking
with honeymoons in their bloodstreams."
"When she's down I want to give her my best
pick-up lines. What's your sign?
My sign has historically been STOP
but since meeting you I've changed it
to MERGE."
__________________________
insta | twitter | blog | booksirens | duolingo
September 6, 2019
Magnificent, heart wrenching and so powerful the body literally aches. This was my first book by Gibson, and I’m so eager to read more of their work!
December 14, 2018
ARC provided by Button Poetry via Netgalley in exchange for a review
Andrea Gibson's Lord of the Butterflies is a collection of poems that will pull at ankles and lift hearts up to shatter them like fireworks against dark skies.
With a focus on LGBTQ struggles, mental health, and family, Gibson built a door to welcome pain, loss, and love that will reform the lives of readers. This book is powerful and it matters.
Andrea Gibson's Lord of the Butterflies is a collection of poems that will pull at ankles and lift hearts up to shatter them like fireworks against dark skies.
With a focus on LGBTQ struggles, mental health, and family, Gibson built a door to welcome pain, loss, and love that will reform the lives of readers. This book is powerful and it matters.
August 9, 2020
Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2018/11/11/...
Rating: 5 Stars - absolutely perfect
I received a copy of Lord of Butterflies from Button Poetry via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5 Stars - absolutely perfect
I received a copy of Lord of Butterflies from Button Poetry via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2018
“Do you remember the first record
Where we didn’t have to change
the pronouns to sing along? We’d gone
so many years without music
that knew us.”
I didn’t know any poem by Andrea Gibson before starting to read this collection, but I’m really happy I found this and got the chance to read it.
The cover is also really beautiful, which adds to my urge to get the paperback and have collection on my shelf to skip through from time to time.
I originally was interested in this because of the poems from the queer perspective. And I loved those poems, they were very heartfelt and tender in some ways but also raw and unapologetic. Especially ‘Orlando’ really got to me, made my heart beat faster and ache in sorrow.
But this is definitely not ‘just’ a poetry collection about queerness, as one might think. There’s a variation of other subjects and issues made focus in the different poems that might or might not be related to the queer identity but can stand for themselves. There are very personal insights on therapy and suicidal thoughts and panic attacks, but also on politics, the Trump administration and more.
“I got so low I had to look up
To see rock bottom”
I think this is a pretty well rounded collection and I’ll definitely read more of this author.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
[Review on Tumblr]
April 1, 2019
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.
Actual rating: 3.75
Moving insights and ruminations on sexuality, identity, gender, addiction, and mental illness. There are also themes of longing, grief, love (freeing, touching, as well as unrequited), sadness— poems that sweep you up and away, and poems that drag you into their depths and hold you there ‘til you feel it, too.
(There were plenty of “HITS” in this collection, but also quite a few “MISSES”, too, which ultimately kept the rating from being higher. Note: I generally rate and review based on emotional impact). Many of the poems are socially/politically-charged, and some came off a bit self-righteous for my liking. Nearly all are frank and honest and open about feminism, wlw, dating, family, and the world in which we live in.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have high standards when it comes to poetry. I’m not typically one for warm and cheery material, because I find that false. Call it cynicism, if you want. I’m only here for what’s oft overlooked— the bruised and vacant eyes, the silent and boarded-up downtowns, the last message from a loved one passed, the unerring grey-skied work commutes, the forgotten and rusty backyard swingsets of life... are where the realness happens. This book of poetry isn’t so much all of that grittiness, but it’s raw and it’s real for me.
A few that stuck out for me:
•ORLANDO hits hard.
•DIAGNOSIS speaks to me on a personal level.
•BOOMERANG VALENTINE (Sweet Jesus, what if I AM THE LOVE OF MY LIFE???)
•DEPRESSION [VERB] captures it perfectly.
•HURT THE FLY was my favorite, if only because it hit so close to home and actually made me put my Kindle down for a minute to take a few breaths.
These are the stories that need to be told, because they are important and they are necessary and they are LIFE.
Actual rating: 3.75
Moving insights and ruminations on sexuality, identity, gender, addiction, and mental illness. There are also themes of longing, grief, love (freeing, touching, as well as unrequited), sadness— poems that sweep you up and away, and poems that drag you into their depths and hold you there ‘til you feel it, too.
(There were plenty of “HITS” in this collection, but also quite a few “MISSES”, too, which ultimately kept the rating from being higher. Note: I generally rate and review based on emotional impact). Many of the poems are socially/politically-charged, and some came off a bit self-righteous for my liking. Nearly all are frank and honest and open about feminism, wlw, dating, family, and the world in which we live in.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have high standards when it comes to poetry. I’m not typically one for warm and cheery material, because I find that false. Call it cynicism, if you want. I’m only here for what’s oft overlooked— the bruised and vacant eyes, the silent and boarded-up downtowns, the last message from a loved one passed, the unerring grey-skied work commutes, the forgotten and rusty backyard swingsets of life... are where the realness happens. This book of poetry isn’t so much all of that grittiness, but it’s raw and it’s real for me.
A few that stuck out for me:
•ORLANDO hits hard.
•DIAGNOSIS speaks to me on a personal level.
•BOOMERANG VALENTINE (Sweet Jesus, what if I AM THE LOVE OF MY LIFE???)
•DEPRESSION [VERB] captures it perfectly.
•HURT THE FLY was my favorite, if only because it hit so close to home and actually made me put my Kindle down for a minute to take a few breaths.
These are the stories that need to be told, because they are important and they are necessary and they are LIFE.
April 5, 2019
"I couldn't take a compliment without feeling like a thief, couldn't believe anything past the first page of me was worth the read. "
While I deeply appreciated the topic discussed (gender, depression, mental health, self-love, family, love in general, politics, religion...) I didn't fall in love with the collection as a whole.
As always, poetry is subjective but I didn't feel connected to the stories, it didn't pull me in and make me feel like I was seeing inside the poet's soul like poetry is supposed to make us feel.
I felt like Lord of Butterflies also lacked of an overall theme. While I enjoyed the variety of subjects I didn't feel like an arch, a universe was created. It highlighted a lot of problems but didn't go much farther than that, which I regret.
The form of the poems was good, there definitely was a rhythm and the analogies were vivid, but in overall, I simply wasn't convinced.
While I deeply appreciated the topic discussed (gender, depression, mental health, self-love, family, love in general, politics, religion...) I didn't fall in love with the collection as a whole.
As always, poetry is subjective but I didn't feel connected to the stories, it didn't pull me in and make me feel like I was seeing inside the poet's soul like poetry is supposed to make us feel.
I felt like Lord of Butterflies also lacked of an overall theme. While I enjoyed the variety of subjects I didn't feel like an arch, a universe was created. It highlighted a lot of problems but didn't go much farther than that, which I regret.
The form of the poems was good, there definitely was a rhythm and the analogies were vivid, but in overall, I simply wasn't convinced.
November 24, 2019
[gay anger]
_______________________________________
The is the first poem book i actually liked.
_______________________________________
The is the first poem book i actually liked.
May 13, 2025
Now, this is POETRY! I fell in love with the author's writing, and I absolutely admired the way the writer explored queerness in this collection.
January 5, 2019
Full review: http://swiftcoffee.blog/2019/01/05/lo...
I thought this was simply gonna be a book of love and suffering, and mostly about being queer, I guess I imagined something average, but god, this was something powerful!
It was both strong and sweet, it touched a lot of important subjects besides the life and situation of LGBTQIA+ people, like gun violence, war, racism, the way America (and the world) is heading, and more, and every word made me feel something. Every word had it's own purpose, the wording was no more complicated or simpler than it should be. The poetry was music to my ears (yes, inner hearing is a thing), and the meanings were deep and resonated with me, the figures of speech worked well, yet it wasn't pretentious and didn't try to seem more than it is. It's not something anybody could write, yet it's something universally understandable. This is poetry to my liking!
The sentiments in the poems felt all natural, and even when the author spoke of things I have never experienced, I somehow felt a strong connection and I could strongly relate. Reading their poetry I had the general experience of how universal feelings are, even though we are all different.
I thought this was simply gonna be a book of love and suffering, and mostly about being queer, I guess I imagined something average, but god, this was something powerful!
It was both strong and sweet, it touched a lot of important subjects besides the life and situation of LGBTQIA+ people, like gun violence, war, racism, the way America (and the world) is heading, and more, and every word made me feel something. Every word had it's own purpose, the wording was no more complicated or simpler than it should be. The poetry was music to my ears (yes, inner hearing is a thing), and the meanings were deep and resonated with me, the figures of speech worked well, yet it wasn't pretentious and didn't try to seem more than it is. It's not something anybody could write, yet it's something universally understandable. This is poetry to my liking!
The sentiments in the poems felt all natural, and even when the author spoke of things I have never experienced, I somehow felt a strong connection and I could strongly relate. Reading their poetry I had the general experience of how universal feelings are, even though we are all different.
December 9, 2025
My love, I was so wrong. Dying is the opposite of leaving. When I left my body, I did not go away. That portal of light was not a portal to elsewhere, but a portal to here. I am more here than I ever was before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined...
if you haven't read or heard andrea's poetry i recommend listening to them perform on youtube. i recentlysobbed watched their documentary come see me in the good light .
my favorite poem in this collection is YOUR LIFE but orlando is a close second. the poem excerpted above is not in this collection and is titled love letter from the afterlife.
if you haven't read or heard andrea's poetry i recommend listening to them perform on youtube. i recently
my favorite poem in this collection is YOUR LIFE but orlando is a close second. the poem excerpted above is not in this collection and is titled love letter from the afterlife.
December 16, 2025
Powerful yet delicate. Giving “hit me hard and soft”. Broke my heart that they’ve passed away this year… but this poetry gets to stay behind to represent a beautiful mind forever.
November 24, 2021
I love Button Poetry everybody knows this. Andrea Gibson was one of the poets I deadly want to read. What interesting is I never come across their poems, like on tumblr--- that's where I'm wrong.
"DIAGNOSIS
I suffer
from unrequited self love.
I love myself but I don't
love myself
back."
HELL the day I read and shared this poem is still with me.
As much as being an anthem, sometimes it's is a cry, sometimes a scream, sometimes a whisper. Some poems like "America, Reloading" have a voice. not trying to be a speech that's important. And I read all poems with its voice. I guess being a slam poet n their activistic side influences this. Some poems like "Antil We Act" made me cry. Artists don't have to point out every injustice or minority but as a lgbtq american person, writing this powerful for american politics on syrian immigrants, not just this but on native people, mental and physical health, children, social bullshits... is a thing.
"...
I'd crack a smile and you'd point to my chest
and say, What just broke?"
..."
- First Love
Orlando, Ode to the Public Panic Attack, Boomerang Valentine is good, First Love, Antil We Act, America, Reloading, Tincture, Dear Tinder, Said the Wishing Well, Letter to Editor, Give Her is amazing. Like Depression, Resentment, Diagnosis kind of poems are really delicious.
"DIAGNOSIS
I suffer
from unrequited self love.
I love myself but I don't
love myself
back."
HELL the day I read and shared this poem is still with me.
As much as being an anthem, sometimes it's is a cry, sometimes a scream, sometimes a whisper. Some poems like "America, Reloading" have a voice. not trying to be a speech that's important. And I read all poems with its voice. I guess being a slam poet n their activistic side influences this. Some poems like "Antil We Act" made me cry. Artists don't have to point out every injustice or minority but as a lgbtq american person, writing this powerful for american politics on syrian immigrants, not just this but on native people, mental and physical health, children, social bullshits... is a thing.
"...
I'd crack a smile and you'd point to my chest
and say, What just broke?"
..."
- First Love
Orlando, Ode to the Public Panic Attack, Boomerang Valentine is good, First Love, Antil We Act, America, Reloading, Tincture, Dear Tinder, Said the Wishing Well, Letter to Editor, Give Her is amazing. Like Depression, Resentment, Diagnosis kind of poems are really delicious.
like seeing an old friend
xoxoxo
iko
September 12, 2021
reading this felt like I was going through a playlist of all of my favorite songs 🥺
I just—wow 😳
I just—wow 😳
April 17, 2022
Truly wonderful.
That is all.
That is all.
January 28, 2022
I picked up Lord of the Butterflies for free through Scribd and was not expecting this to hit me so hard, but wow Gibsons writing is incredibly provocative and thought provoking.
Lord of the Butterflies is a collection of musings on mental health, illness, gender, non-conformity and also modern politics. Within this collection there is a lot of variety, from love letters, to politically charged feelings, to depictions of battle with grief (which really struck a chord) and every poem had its place within this collection.
Modern and classic all at once, I felt incredibly drawn to her words and experiences due to the charismatic prose.
Will be following Gibson's work from now on for sure!
Lord of the Butterflies is a collection of musings on mental health, illness, gender, non-conformity and also modern politics. Within this collection there is a lot of variety, from love letters, to politically charged feelings, to depictions of battle with grief (which really struck a chord) and every poem had its place within this collection.
Modern and classic all at once, I felt incredibly drawn to her words and experiences due to the charismatic prose.
Will be following Gibson's work from now on for sure!
October 29, 2024
Well, I didn’t hate it
December 14, 2022
The personal, romantic and the political poetry of Andrea Gibson all left an impression on me. They have a lightness of touch when dealing with necessary and difficult things that others may not include. For example, issues of whiteness and learning about the origins of thanksgiving day.
I also like what Gibson includes in the world of the poem, as they swept me along.
---------------
PS, I have been slack at reviewing poetry this year. Seeing and hearing, tasting and feeling what poets do with words and rhythm is a constant source of wonder. I've loved all that I read this year, the (recently) historic and contemporary.
I also like what Gibson includes in the world of the poem, as they swept me along.
---------------
PS, I have been slack at reviewing poetry this year. Seeing and hearing, tasting and feeling what poets do with words and rhythm is a constant source of wonder. I've loved all that I read this year, the (recently) historic and contemporary.
November 27, 2025
I wasn't really into poetry before discovering Gibson. I guess I just needed to find something that deeply resonated with me. Anything by Gibson does.
The poems speak to my traumatized gay inner child. I think about "We're built like drums. We couldn't make songs if we had never been hit." so much it's embarassing.
The poems speak to my traumatized gay inner child. I think about "We're built like drums. We couldn't make songs if we had never been hit." so much it's embarassing.
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